Women's Basketball: Winter Break Summary

By Adam Hunt
Sports Reporter / Columnist

While the rest of us enjoyed our winter break, the Mercer women’s basketball team were hard at work, playing no less than nine games in three weeks.

Facing a potentially perilous six-game road stretch before Conference action resumed, the Bears were looking to maintain the solid form that had seen them race to a 5-3 early season record.

Here The Cluster takes a look back at the games that made the headlines over the holiday season.

(* Indicates Atlantic Sun Conference game)

12/19/2009 @ Oklahoma State, L 68-100
21 points from the mercurial Courtney Ford were not enough to stop Big 12 powerhouse Oklahoma State from cruising to victory at the Gallagher-IBA Arena. Ford added ten rebounds to notch her sixth double-double performance of the season while sophomore point guard Lorin Hammer contributed a career-high 12 points off the bench. The win improved the Cowgirls to 8-2 overall while the Bears dropped to 4-4.

12/21/2009 @ Texas Tech, L 49-60
Courtney Ford found her form again in Lubbock, TX with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but a 14-6 surge from Tech inside the final five minutes proved decisive. The Bears stared down a third-straight loss, dropping to 4-5, while the Lady Raiders improved to 10-1 with their ninth win on the bounce.

12/28/2009 @ High Point, L 71-81
Mercer’s luck failed to improve in their first outing after Christmas with a 10-point loss to the Panthers. Courtney Ford lit up the court once again, leading all players with 29 points and 14 rebounds at the Millis Center. High Point showed some of the form that helped them overcome Florida in their previous game. The win pegged the Bears back to 4-6 and the Panthers jumped to 7-6.

12/30/2009 @ Winthrop, W 58-49
The Bears took to the court in Rock Hill, SC looking to close out 2009 with a victory and halt their four game slide. Courtney Ford and senior guard LaToya Jackson combined for 27 points and 11 rebounds in what was a scintillating team performance. Mercer also took one step closer to a positive record, improving to 5-6 overall, while the Eagles fell to 5-7.

1/2/2010 @ Jacksonville, L 57-72*
2010 failed to begin with a bang as Mercer dropped its first Conference decision of the New Year in Florida. Courtney Ford’s stunning season continued, however, as she tallied a career-high 31 points. 50 percent from the field was enough for the Dolphins to improve their A-Sun record to 1-2, while the Bears dropped to 2-1.

1/4/2010 @ UNF, W 54-48*
Lights-out defense from Mercer saw them notch a vital Conference win over North Florida in Jacksonville. Courtney Ford lead all scorers with 21 points as the Bears kept the Lady Ospreys at bay. The victory pushed Mercer to 3-1 in A-Sun play while UNF fell to 1-3.

1/7/2010 Campbell , W 64-52*
The Bears returned to the University Center and maintained their winning ways in Conference action against a lackluster Campbell outfit. Sophomore forward Lacy Ramon recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. 43 percent from the field pushed Mercer to a 4-1 A-Sun mark while the Camels dropped to 3-1.

1/9/2010 ETSU, L 81-60*
A determined ETSU performance kept Mercer quiet from the floor. 22 points and 20 rebounds from Siarre Evans helped the Lady Buccaneers light up the UC. 20 points from Courtney Ford was the high for the Bears as they fell to 4-2 in Conference play. ETSU continued their solid form, improving to 4-1.

1/14/2009 @ USC Upstate, W 57-53*
The Bears took to the road again and produced a much improved performance to get their Conference record back on track. Senior guards Courtney Ford and LaToya Jackson combined for 37 points while junior center Kourtney Carter contributed a double-double at the Hodge Center. With the win, Mercer moves to a 5-2 A-Sun record while the Spartans see their three-game win streak snapped and fall to 3-4.